Crimson Palace (23 page)

And then, to top it all off, whenever the beautiful casino operator was seen away from the Bonanza House, she would be the most demurely dressed woman in Virginia City. The somber black day dresses Shinonn had ordered would state, clearly, that this was a lady who was not interested in any man’s attentions. The combination would be dynamite!

***

Swirls of butterflies fluttered in Shinonn’s stomach as she prepared to make her first entrance into the casino. She had never been so afraid in her entire life. What if the customers saw how her hands shook?

One false move and the game would be up. If they sensed her fear they would destroy her. How in the world had she ever let herself be talked into such a farce?

She looked in the mirror one last time. Her reflection should have calmed her, but instead of seeing the reflected image of the magnificently beautiful woman she was, all she saw was the face of a stranger peering back at her. She felt absolutely no kinship with the woman who returned her stare.

Peering more deeply at the image, she was suddenly gripped with an overpowering curiosity. Who was the woman in the floor length mirror? How could she, Shinonn Flannery, the blacksmith’s daughter, possibly relate to this stranger before her?

Mei Jung had managed to tame the masses of shiny black curls into a sleek, upswept twist, allowing a few wispy curls to float lightly around her face. There was a fine dusting of powder on her pale face, nearly covering the light spattering of freckles she had come to take for granted. Shinonn had even allowed Sofie to apply the merest hint of rouge on her high cheekbones, giving her a more mature, experienced appearance. Even Sofie agreed that no mascara was needed on her luxuriously thick lashes.

Her eyes traveled away from her face down to the formal evening gown she wore. It was of silk, the coolest material the dressmaker had in stock, and was a brilliant crimson red.

At the first fitting, Shinonn had been shocked to see that the plunging neckline nearly exposed her breasts. She had turned to the dressmaker in fury. "Do you actually think I would wear this in public? If you can’t make me a decent dress I’ll find somebody who can."

The problem was settled by inserting a panel of exquisitely delicate, handmade ivory lace, softly folded into a red silk neck band. The final effect was actually much more provocative, with the merest hint of flesh peeking through the concealing lace.

With leg-o-mutton sleeves, a tightly fitting bodice and voluminous skirts, the dress was superb. Shinonn placed her fingers lightly at her waist, drawing in her breath. How could anyone breathe trussed up like this, she wondered?

Twisting from side to side, she tested the limits of the tortuous corset Mei Jung had laced her into. No wonder most of the women she saw parading around town had such pinched expressions on their faces!

They weren’t being haughty, as she had always supposed, they were most likely simply trying to keep enough air in their lungs to allow them to put one foot in front of the other!

Standing before the mirror, she tried to calm her ragged nerves before walking the few yards from her home to the Bonanza House. Taking several deep breaths, she willed her heart to slow its erratic beat.

She realized she could never allow the customers to learn of her inner terror. If they even suspected her fear they would make short shrift of her new career.

Finally, squaring her shoulders, she pasted a haughty expression on her face and turned to leave. She would win tonight,... tonight and every other night. Nothing and nobody would stand in her way ever again.

Chapter 17

"Anyone else care to ‘buck the tiger’ tonight?" Shinonn called out as she deftly shuffled the deck of cards. She glanced around the crowded room, pleasantly satisfied with the bustle of activity, the sound of dealers calling cards, the clink of chips as bets were placed.

As she placed the cards in the Faro box, she was reminded of the night almost two years earlier when she had dealt the game to her first customers. Just that day Alex had hung the Faro sign, a picture of a tiger, outside the Bonanza House, announcing their newest game at the same time.

She remembered how terrorized she had been when she had first perched upon the stool and waited for the customers to try their luck. It had taken all of her iron will to sit on that stool and give the appearance of a seasoned professional dealer, all the while being painfully conscious of the curious eyes that apprised her every move.

Her almost instant success had come as a complete surprise to her. Word of the beautiful, yet unattainable, dealer at the Bonanza House spread quickly. The throng of men crowding around her table was twice as large the second night and larger still the third. More dealers were hired after the first week to handle the customers who found the crowd surrounding her table too formidable, but were only too happy to try their luck at other games.

Sofie worried that the customers would become unmanageable and angry when there was not enough room at Shinonn’s table for them all to play against her. But her fears turned out to be unjustified. Most of the men were perfectly willing to take their turns at her table. For many it was enough to share a room with the enigmatic gambling lady. True, they each vied for her attention in their own individual ways, but they somehow sensed that Shinonn was special, not one of the working girls of the bordello.

It was Shinonn’s naiveté and innocence that set her apart from the other women. Although she was dressed in brilliant crimson, and worked in a man’s environment, her natural reserve set her apart. She seemed aloof, unattainable. She became every man’s dream. Each one wanted her, yet they all seemed to accept the fact that she was out of their reach.

Word of the gambling goddess quickly spread. In less than a week every man in Virginia City had heard of her. It seemed the entire male population of the town found it necessary to come and see for himself if the stories were true. And not one man went away disappointed. It seemed impossible that the Bonanza House could accommodate more customers, and yet as her fame spread, still more of the curious were drawn through the ornate double doors.

Behind her back the customers often referred to her as the Queen of the Bonanza, often shortening the title to the "Little Queen."

The more upright female citizens of Virginia City were scandalized when a story about the Little Queen appeared in the Territorial enterprise. What was the editor thinking of allowing that rogue, Dan DeQuille, to write about such a creature? The paper was deluged with complaints from the "decent" ladies, but their letters only added fuel to the legend.

Always reluctant to share her private life with anyone beyond her tightly knit circle of friends, Shinonn now referred to herself simply as Mrs. Flannery. No mention was ever made of "Mr." Flannery, but the inference was that there had been a legal father for her young daughter, Jenna.

Gradually the stories about the elusively beautiful casino dealer took on an even more tantalizing appeal.

Word began to spread that not only was she the most beautiful and unattainable woman in Virginia City, she was also the best card dealer in Nevada, very likely surpassing any to be found in California.

This new reputation drew a different clientele. More and more polished professionals found their way to her table. As she moved from one game to the next, from Faro to poker, even taking a spin at the roulette wheel, she could tell which of the gamblers were there for sport and which made their living at the games.

With few exceptions the game of choice of the professional players was five card stud, the game Lincoln had spent so many hours drilling her on. The first time she had sat in on a poker hand the image of Lincoln had almost overwhelmed her. She could hear his voice instructing her on every move, on every turn of the cards. She fought with all her might to push him out of her mind, to concentrate only on the cards. With supreme willpower she managed to force him away, until only rare flashes of memories of him intruded upon her thoughts.

She found that by moving from one game to another throughout the night she was better able to keep an eye on the other dealers and the customers. Her usual practice was to begin the evening with a couple spins of the roulette wheel, then to proceed to the Faro table. Dealing Faro for a couple of hours, she watched as the crowd began to build. Stopping once again at the roulette wheel, pulling in customers who might not otherwise bother with the game, she would then take her place at the largest poker table, located in the center of the room. She knew that once she began dealing poker she would not leave the table for hours.

It was often strenuous sitting at the table for hour after hour, concentrating solely on the game. But she never tired of the excitement. Time stood still as she watched each player’s mannerisms, calculating with lightening speed the probabilities of each man’s hand. Often dawn was breaking before she realized that it was time to call it a night and shut the game down.

"Bets gentlemen?" she asked in a brisk, business like manner.

The spaces surrounding her Faro table were quickly filled with players. Glancing around the table she noted that all the faces were familiar. There was a bustle of activity as each player laid down his bet.

Shinonn viewed the table with a proprietary air. As Alex and Sofie had taken her in as a partner nearly a year earlier, she had an even greater stake in the club than before. The operations of the casino were entirely under her control.

"I believe you all know the house rules and limits, gentlemen. Place your bets please. She paused, waiting until the last man had placed his chips on the table, then drew the first two cards.

"The house wins," her melodic voice intoned as her assistant drew in the chips. She paused again until all the bets had been made.

It was a simple game, without all the subtle nuances she had come to enjoy in her favorite game, poker.

But, perhaps because the gamblers had a slightly better edge in Faro than in any other casino game, it was popular with the customers. She was thankful that she was only expected to deal for a short while, the repetition of it would surely have driven her insane.

Although still early in the evening, the club seemed unusually lively this night. The masculine voices of gamblers and dealers blended with piano music and the laughter of women from the reception room next door. The air was already thick with cigar and cigarette smoke and the faintly sweet smell of whiskey and beer.

Shinonn settled more comfortably onto her stool, enjoying a pleasant sense of well-being. She felt totally in tune with the gambling environment.

She drew two more cards from the box, pausing while winners were paid off and the money from the losers was gathered up. Suddenly she sensed a slight change in the atmosphere. She felt a tingling sensation race through her veins, while at the same moment a cold chill ran down her spine. Glancing up from the table it seemed that nothing had changed, but something deep within her warned of danger.

Then she saw him. Smoldering gray eyes pierced through the smoky haze and the crush of people, holding her in an almost physical grip. Her hands stopped involuntarily on their way to the dealing box.

All others vanished from the room as she stared into those eyes.

Although common reasoning should have warned her that one day Lincoln would come to Virginia City, she had never allowed herself to accept the possibility. Slowly, deliberately he crossed with room until he stood at an empty space at the Faro table, staring at her with bitter eyes.

"Come to ‘buck the tiger’, mister?" Did he hear the quiver in her voice?

"No, thank you. I tried it once and lost." The words were clipped, his voice filled with bitterness.

Without another word, he turned and left the casino.

Somehow she managed to continue dealing until she reached the bottom of the deck. She drew on last ounce of will power as she forced herself to continue with the usual banter of the game. At last, sighing with relief, she pulled the last card out and signaled for her replacement.

Oblivious to curious eyes, she forced her way through the crowd, heading for the saloon.

"Give me a straight shot of whiskey, Sam," she told the bartender, reaching toward him with a shaking hand.

He poured the drink and handed it to her, expecting her to take it to one of the customers. Everyone who worked in the Bonanza House knew that she never touched a drop of alcohol. He was amazed when she downed the whiskey in one gulp and asked for another.

"Anything wrong, Mrs. Flannery?" he asked in concern.

"I just saw a ghost, Sam," she answered faintly. "A ghost from my past that’s come back to haunt me."

***

The Bonanza House had just opened for business when Lincoln returned the next evening. Shinonn and Sofie were in Sofie’s office when the sound of Lincoln’s voice resounded through the hall.

"No insult intended ladies, but I did have a particular girl in mind."

Sofie started for the door before Shinonn was able to tell her who the customer was.

"Can’t say as I’ve seen you around, stranger. Did I hear you say you’ve already got a preference for one of our ladies?"

"Yes, ma’am, that I do. I’ll take that one behind you." He reached into his pocket and drew out a stack of money.

Glancing over her shoulder, Sofie realized that he was asking for Shinonn.

"Sorry, but..."

"It’s all right, Sofie. Take the man’s money. I think one hundred dollars for an hour of my time would be fair.’ Shinonn’s voice was tight with anger. "It’s about time he paid for what he usually steals," she said bitterly.

She stepped into the room, walking directly toward Lincoln. Steel gray eyes locked with icy blue; the expression on both faces were grim. Every eye in the room followed Shinonn as she walked, ramrod straight, in his direction.

"I don’t keep a room here," she told him through tight lips. "We’ll have to go to my house, but it’s not far. Follow me."

She turned and walked out the door without a backward glance, knowing that everyone in the room watched in amazement. Never glancing back to see if he followed, she walked purposefully toward her home.